The Art of Sleeping - 8 Tips for Getting a Good Night's Sleep

 Tossing and turning. Clock watching. Drifting off to sleep then waking up? counting sheep? Thinking I need to sleep but thoughts are like the M25 on a Friday evening, - jammed packed with thought traffic.

Sound familiar?

We all know the body needs to sleep to rest, to rejuvenate, to tune up heal itself and to repair what needs repairing.

Lack of sleep impacts our thinking process, makes us tired, grumpy and irritated at times, it's very difficult to function when the body and the mind are both exhausted.

Good sleeping patterns are essential to our emotional and physical well-being and is often an overlooked factor in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

The Art of Sleeping Tip 1 - Cut out caffeine

Caffeine is an enemy of sleep - it is not your friend! If you need coffee don't have it after 12. Caffeine dehydrates your body and increases anxiety and stress because of the rush of adrenaline in the body.

Do you know that caffeine still impacts your body up to 10 to 12 hours after you have consumed it?

The Art of Sleeping Tip 2 - Keep rehydrated

Ensure you drink enough water during the day, the recommended amount is between 1.5 and 2 litres a day (and that doesn't include coffee!). Being dehydrated can impact sleeping as it disrupts your body's natural rhythm, so you don't feel tired when you should. It also causes fatigue but not the type of tiredness to help you sleep.

Being dehydrated also decreases the melatonin in the body which is needed for sleep.

The Art of Sleeping Tip 3 - Ensure you have sufficient natural light during the day

Natural day light is essential to sleep as it increases melatonin in the body. Open curtains, go for a walk outside, and ensure your work space has sufficient natural light, perhaps angle your desk so that you are facing a window.

The Art of Sleeping Tip 4 - Stay away from lights at night

Lights at night decreases the levels of melatonin in the body. Lights from TV, even computers decreases the melatonin at night. Even the light from an iPad can suppress the melatonin.

Stop using your laptop, TV and iPads late at night. Read, listen to some relaxing music or do some relaxation exercises to help you prepare for sleep.

Change lights bulbs in your bedroom is it is a soft and gentle light.

The Art of Sleeping Tip 5 - The importance of healthy eating and exercise

A healthy balanced diet is essential to a healthy sleeping pattern. Don't eat a heavy meal late at night, especially meat as the body takes a while to digest it.

Bananas are good for helping sleep - but don't eat them too late at night.

The Art of Sleeping Tip 6 - Quit smoking

Many smokers think that smoking helps relax them. Wrong! Nicotine is a stimulant and disrupts the sleeping patterns.

The Art of Sleeping Tip 7 - Cut out alcohol

Alcohol reduces your quality of sleep. Although you may go to sleep quickly it also wakes you during the night. Don't drink alcohol a few hours before going to bed.

The Art of Sleeping Tip 8 - Try alternative safe methods

Perhaps experiment with soothing and calming background noise (sounds of nature or the ocean) which can be played when you go to be bed. These can be purchased inexpensively online. You can also try seeking the advice or counsel of an experienced and registered professional such as a sleep therapist or hypnotherapist.

Happy sleeping!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7231134

How to Talk to a Girl You Like For The First Time!

Having a crush on a girl can make you very shy around her, especially if you don't know each other well. Here's how to strike up a natural conversation with the girl you like.

1) Make eye contact. 

Spend a few days catching her gaze every now and then. Don't just stare at her, though; instead, shoot her small glances until your eyes meet and she catches you. When she does, smile slightly and look away after a second. You'll probably blush as well, which is all the better - blushing indicates you're nervous, which is a hint that you like her.

2) Time it right. 

When you do talk to her, pick a time that's convenient. Don't try to get her attention when she's obviously involved in something else, and try to have a bit of privacy - you don't have to be completely alone, but her attention shouldn't be too distracted.

3) Start with a compliment.

 Paying a girl the right compliment makes your intentions clear right away - she'll know instantly that you're interested in being more than her friend. Here are some things to consider:

• Know how to deliver a compliment. Even the best compliment in the world will fall flat if your delivery is off. Keep a half smile as you talk - it will make you naturally add appealing inflection to your voice. (Try this trick out when you answer the phone sometime and see if you notice a difference.) Maintain eye contact with her, and keep the tones of your voice up, but lower the actual volume - speaking softly immediately communicates intimacy, and it can make her instinctively lean in closer to hear you. If this all sounds a bit difficult, practice it in front of a mirror first.

• As anyone who's ever had a stalker can tell you, there's a fine but definite line between flattering and creepy. With this in mind, choose your compliment wisely. Saying something like "You always look amazing in that shirt" can come off as weird if you don't know her well, and implies that you watch her. (Even if you do, it's best not to spill that information immediately.) Instead, opt for something general but cute, such as "Your smile is glowing today. What's making you so happy?" or "I thought what you said in class earlier was really interesting." A good compliment should naturally lead to more conversation, instead of just hanging awkwardly in the air after you say it.

• Know what to avoid. If you're going to pay a girl a compliment about her physical looks, stick to her eyes, smile or hair. Do not comment on her body otherwise, especially on the first interaction.

• If you want to play it extra safe, pick something you already know she's proud of. For instance, if you know she's a dedicated violinist, say something like, "I've heard you're an amazing musician," and use it as a way to ask her some questions about it.

4) Keep the conversation moving. 

You might be tempted to stop talking and just stare at this girl, but don't let your nerves get the best of you. Allowing a long lull in the conversation will make things feel awkward.

5) Instead, have a mental list of backup questions you can use if you stumble on an uncomfortable pause.

• Ask about what she thinks of a shared homework assignment or an upcoming event. Asking for her opinion communicates that you care about what she thinks, and see her as more than just an object.

• Use the conversation to find out more about her, but be subtle. For instance, if you want to find out if she already has a boyfriend, you could casually ask, "So, anything fun planned with your boyfriend for the weekend?" If she doesn't have one and she's interested in you, she'll let you know immediately.

• Ask open-ended questions. For instance, instead of saying "So, have anything fun planned for the break?" (which can be answered with a short "yes" or "no"), say "What are you going to do to keep busy while school is out?" A question that requires a detailed response is always better to keep a conversation flowing.

6) Make her laugh (optional). 

If you're sure you've got a joke she'll appreciate, give it a shot. The goal is to show her you have an engaging sense of humor, but you don't want to come off as desperate or cheesy.

• If possible, crack a joke about the current situation or something you both saw happen. Situational humor is more meaningful than a joke you read online.

• Don't tell a dirty joke. It's not appropriate for a first conversation, and it might give her the wrong impression.

• If she doesn't get the joke, don't explain it to her unless she asks. Just move on quickly with a new point of conversation.

• Good humor is really attractive, but bad humor is a complete turn off. If you can't think of a joke that makes sense with the situation at hand, leave it alone.

7) Close the conversation early. 

Follow that old saying - "Always leave them wanting more." Find a way to gracefully duck out of the conversation before it goes stale.Good luck!

Also remember that each girl is different; therefore, there is no specific set of steps to magically get all girls you like to like you. The reason she likes you is because she likes you for who you are. So just be real, do not fake interests or things that you do or know.

credit : wikiHow

Conversation Starters: Are You Always Lost For Words?

Perhaps you are a shy person or you are lost for words and can't start a conversation with someone and keep it going. Lacking conversational skills can hold you back academically, socially and professionally... 

When you know how to approach someone, strike up a conversation and ask the right questions of people, you stand a much better chance of getting your instructor's attention. You also have a better opportunity to get your supervisor's attention and attract the notice of the opposite sex in dating situations.

Improve Your Conversation Skills

Knowing how to walk up to people, greet them and start a conversation may not come automatically for you. Perhaps you struggle to find topics of conversation - "What interests him? Will I know enough about what he enjoys discussing? Maybe I'll be boring!" As soon as that last thought enters your mind, you give up on the thought of approaching someone - and you sit in your seat, silent, nervous or shy - missing conversation success.

When you learn how to approach others and say, "Hi, my name is ________. How are you today?" you increase your probability of successfully beginning a conversation and making a new friend.

Increase Your Confidence

Are you lost for words? Do you believe you are shy? If so, this may lead to lower self-confidence and missed opportunities to engage in conversations with others. Your work performance and social skills may also suffer.

One part of increasing your level of confidence involves knowing what general topics someone might be interested in discussing. Should you be sitting at a party with an attractive girl, you need to know how to bring up topics with which she might be familiar - the latest movie, Hollywood gossip or her job, for instance.

Know What to Say to Others

Avoid being lost for words. You need to know how to bring up different conversational topics. After you have introduced yourself - "Hi, my name is Mary. How are you today?" you give them an opening to respond. After the person responds, you might ask a question about the weather. As you do, make sure you ask in such a way that the person has to speak in a full sentence. Try a question like, "So, what do you think of this weird weather?" as opposed to, "Do you like all this rain?"

Keeping Conversations Going

So, now you have started a tentative conversation with the person you spotted earlier. She's give you her thoughts about all the rain and how she loves it. You might hate all the rain because you can't ride your bike to work. Approach this by saying, "I can see how you'd like the rain. I have to be careful, though, because I can't ride my cycle to work on rainy mornings." This opens another conversational topic. To avoid being lost for words, fall back on favorite movies or restaurants.

Avoid Conversational Mistakes

Look at your differing viewpoints of the rain that's been falling for two weeks. Your conversational partner may love it while you hate it. If you want to keep the conversation going, telling her, "I hate all this rain!" will stop the conversation dead in its tracks. Find a way of expressing yourself, experiencing conversation success.

Keep Your Body Language Open

You want to approach someone who's body language says, "I'm interested in meeting new people." These people keep their body open - they don't cross their arms or legs. Should you see someone who's closed off, look around for someone who has a relaxed posture.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7183963

Five Simple Ways To Ease Your Worries

Everyone has worries from time to time. Money, relationships, family issues, emotional distress  it can all add up and make your mind spin. Take a look at these five simple ways to ease worry. Try one the next time you feel stressed and see what works for you.

1) Write Out A List Of Your Concerns

Sometimes it helps to just get your worries out of your head. The act of writing it all out can take the load off your mind and put it onto a sheet of paper. Once you get everything out into the open, you may get a clearer picture on what's really important and what's not. You can see which problems you don't have control over, aren't very important, or you could actually do something about. If nothing else, writing everything out can be a release so your head doesn't feel so jumbled. Your mind can clear and you can feel more relaxed.


2) Laugh A Little

Got worries? Find your funny bone. You probably know the funny movies and TV shows that will get you giggling. Find a friend who is usually upbeat and see how your mood changes when you're around them. When you laugh, your body releases endorphins, the body's "feel-good" chemicals. This produces a feeling of well-being and happiness. Laughter is a physical activity that puts many of your muscles to work all at once. They feel more relaxed when your wave of laughter subsides. Plus, laughing simply puts you in a better mood for a little while. Even though your problems are still there, you may be able to face them with a smile.


3) Walk Away Your Worries

This is another endorphin releasing activity. Get your blood pumping a little and your heart will be racing for a good reason. The more you help your body associate physical arousal with healthy activity, the better your body will learn to relax itself. The cycle of tension and relaxation that goes with exercise and recovery is very good for your body. Relaxed muscles will help your mind feel calm. Also, getting a little exercise can be a good way to put your mind on something other than your worries. Remember to listen to music or watch the scenery go by as you walk.

4) What's The Worst That Could Happen?

In a typical counseling session, you might be asked to think of the worst case scenario for your biggest worry. It might not seem so bad if you come right out and say it (to yourself or to someone else). Fear does its best work within the dark shadows of your mind. The more you hide from your fears the more they'll own you. Shedding light on the worst possible scenario can help you understand how unlikely it might really be. Once you put things in perspective, your mind will be more at ease.

5) Distraction Disrupts The Momentum

Believe it or not, the conscious brain can't focus on more than one thing at a time. This is good news for someone with lots of worries. When you focus on everything that concerns you all the time, your problems can seem to grow by the minute. Just giving your brain a break from your worries can help them seem a little smaller the next time you think about them. Simply do something you can get caught up in for a short while like house chores, a favorite movie, a phone call to a loved one, or a good book.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7106752

UFO Over Olympics Opening Ceremony 2012: A Classic Flying Saucer

Talk about an uninvited guest at the Olympics Ceremony in London 2012.

Friday night's spectacular pyrotechnics display of the most watched opening ceremony in summer Olympics history attracted more than the eyes of over 40 million people. A clearly seen unidentified flying object was videotaped making its way over London's Olympic stadium, reports Examiner.com.

So what was it?

On an evening that included an apparent Queen Elizabeth and 007 agent James Bond parachuting out of a helicopter into the Olympics stadium, most people probably wouldn't have been surprised if a staged UFO was also on the entertainment menu, just two weeks after the U.K. released its most recent batch of UFO documents.

Last month, former Ministry of Defense UFO desk officer Nick Pope suggested that a huge event like the London Olympic Games, could present itself as a prime target for otherworldly craft to show themselves to a gigantic viewing audience.

"With the summer of mass events, we are all on high alert for terrorism. But we must also cast our eyes further afield and be prepared for even the most seemingly unfathomable," Pope said, according to PressTV.

As fireworks lit up the heavens above the Olympics opening ceremony, watched by around a billion people, something else was seen among the whizz-bangs in the night sky... a UFO.

It may have ticked all the cliche boxes - saucer-shaped, bulge in the middle, metallic - but no one has yet stepped forward to explain the slow-moving object.

The incident came right at the close of last Friday's spectacular at the Olympic Park stadium in Stratford, east London at around 12.30am.

And it was just as Nick Pope, one of the UK’s top UFO experts, predicted only weeks ago - that mass summer events would be a prime time for crafts from other worlds to present themselves to mankind.

       Watch as the UFO approaches London's Olympic stadium.

The disc-shaped object is first seen entering the upper left portion of the video as the fireworks erupt over the stadium. The UFO -- which appears to have a dome or bulge rising from its center -- moves slowly across the sky as if deliberately observing the light-show spectacle below it.

While NBC Olympics -- a division of NBC Sports -- has chosen Goodyear blimps for all of its 2012 Olympics aerial coverage, the strange-looking object that appeared over the opening ceremonies doesn't appear to be a blimp.

Pope wrote earlier this year of a conspiracy theory rumor that suggested a fake alien attack would be staged at the London Olympics.

"A combination of special effects and holographic technology will be used to create the illusion of an alien invasion, the rumor claims," Pope wrote on TruTV.com.

"If aliens have studied our psychology, they may choose to appear in our skies on a significant date -- the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games is one date being widely circulated by conspiracy groups," PressTV quoted Pope.

Maybe Friday night's UFO appearance was a dress rehearsal.

I'm confident the object filmed During the Olympic opening ceremony is not a blimp or drone. Unless more footage of the same object is produced confirming without a doubt that it is indeed a blimp/drone etc, then i am confirming this as a genuine UFO sighting. Object has a dome and a disc shape!

Official Olympic Goodyear Blimp Here: http://www.examiner.com/article/2012-olympics-aerial-camera-coverage-seen-fro...

Object discovered by MrScipher, watch original here :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDpdBCYQIsM&feature=plcp

Source : huffingtonpost and StephenHannardADGUK uploader from Youtube.

10 Tips for Dealing With Annoying People Positively

Negativity is contagious. A simple conversation with a negative person can expose you to negative thoughts and can make you a victim. Ironically, you just cannot help it. You can only stay alert, motivated and should not let others control your thinking.

Below is a list of 12 tips that can help you in dealing with negativity and negative people. Among these tips, there are also some ideas to keep you from negativity. Try them to stay positive!

1. Avoid Arguments:

Arguing with a negative person makes you a bigger fool. It will further push negativity on you. For avoiding an argument, better change the subject or just leave. It is the best solution so as to make the situation light.

2. Keep that Smile:

Use this little curve on face that works wonders. Keep thinking positive things in life and keep smiling. Also, make people around you smile as much as you can so that their negativity takes a rest. This will not only help overcome the effect of a negative person on you but will also boost your confidence.

3. Value Your Thoughts: 

Give more importance to your thoughts than other's comments. Do not let anyone manipulate your thinking. It will help you gain inner strength and will enhance confidence.

4. Go for Group Outings: 

To cut out the effect of negative people, always hang out in groups. This will provide you with an option to have a limited conversation with the negative person and switching topics will be easier.

5. Be Confident:

No matter how hard you try, you might get dragged into a conversation with the negative person. Don't let them make your morale low. Just feel free to express your thoughts and emotions and feel confident about your opinions.

6. Never React Aggressively: 

Even if you are provoked, never react to a negative person with aggression. You might get annoyed with the negative comments, sarcasms etc., but try to take them lightly and keep yourself indifferent of such things. In an impulsive moment, try to leave that place and have a relaxing time walking around or listening to good and positive things.

7. Keep Your Positive Spirit High: 

Focus on your energy and keep the spirit high, no matter how hard a person tries to bring negativity in your life. Keep repeating good things to yourself so that your positivity doesn't get hampered.

8. Control Your Feelings: 

No matter how much feel to kick off a negative person, try control your feelings and behave positively with them. Try to react with the negative person with a cool temperament and in low voice.

9. Forgive Often: 

Forgive the person who does any negative to you. This will help you grow emotionally and mentally. It will also help maintain good interpersonal relations with people around you. Moreover, will bring peace to your life.

10. Ignore: 

If everything else fails, try to ignore such people. Maintain a distance with them. It may sound rude but it actually works.

The above explained steps can help you in staying protected from the effect of negativity and deal with a negative person in a positive way. Further, it will ensure you remain focused and confident. Just make yourself feel good about things around you by thinking positive.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7173566

Natural Remedies for Acne - Answers Are Right Here

Acne is the worst thing a person can have. Well, not as worse as cancer, a heart attack, or any other life threatening situation, but you get the picture. People are constantly searching for ways to cure acne but more and more people are searching for natural remedies for acne. Basically they search for methods that don't involve prescriptions, or over-the-counter medication for acne. These are some of the most effective proven methods for getting rid of acne naturally.

Drinking plenty of water is one of the most natural ways of getting rid of acne. It's common sense that water works because first it hydrates your body when you drink it. When your skin gets dehydrated it becomes more dry. Dry skin can lead to acne. Most people would think to avoid having oily skin, but dry skin is even a bigger problem. Water is more than just rehydrating your skin. If you're taking certain vitamins you typically have one or two glasses of water. When you take the vitamins, the water you drink makes sure that they get to where they need to go in your body. The vitamins make their way to the skin cells, which in turn flush out unwanted toxins. Health Experts recommend you to drink at least 8 glasses a day.

One of the other natural remedies for acne is nutrition. Now there has been speculation that eating certain foods that are high in fat or that are oily are what causes acne. That is false. Eating the right foods however, can lower acne. Of course, eating anything that is high in fat or oil are not the way to go. Eating those types of foods will cause more oil buildup in your pores, and you pretty much know what happens afterwards. Vegetables are a good start, especially those that are leafy and green. Veggies are high in antioxidant vitamins and minerals. Those types of nutrients detoxify your body to have clear skin. Fruit is also a good source of nutrition, but do not eat fruits high in sugar.

More natural remedies for acne include natural items, like honey, lemon juice, olive oil, and many more items that you can find in your grocery store. To apply these items to your skin you use the same technique as a topical cream, like a facial mask. Some of these items might be a little unpleasant when applying to your skin like lemon juice. You need to really be careful when putting on these ingredients to your acne, and be very careful around an open acne scar or cyst.

If you do these methods everyday and make it part of your routine your acne will disappear eventually. Make sure you don't overdo these methods by doing them more than once. More importantly don't be stressed out a lot. Being relaxed and having confidence is also one of the keys to reducing your acne. There are many natural remedies for acne but these methods mentioned above are proven to get rid of your acne.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7189906

Tips On Dealing With Long Distance Relationships

 

Everyone knows how frustrating to fall in love with someone who lives hundreds of miles away. Not being able to go on dates and get kissed or intimate with the person you love can sometimes make even those with strong hearts to question if there are effective ways in dealing with long distance relationships.

Long distance relationships surely take a lot of work. You always need to keep tabs on your partner and make sure that your partner's being faithful. Just this alone can almost make you lose your grip on sanity. You also need to keep your communication open or else you may end up having a break up.

However, these type of relationships really aren't that bad though. In recent studies, the Center for the Study of long distance relationships said that almost 3.75 million marriages are considered long distance relationships. The center's study also said that millions of college students are also involved in relationships where their partner is far away.

Now, to those who are involved and are trying to find ways how to deal with distance in a relationship in college, here are some things that can help you.

The very first thing you need in dealing with distance in a relationship is to make sure that both sides trust the other completely. Trust can help decrease or even eliminate negative thoughts and feelings such as insecurity, jealousy, doubts and fears, which are the main reasons for break up.

There are many different ways on making sure that both sides trust each other completely. One such way is to avoid telling lies.

No matter how small or insignificant the lie may be, make sure you prevent yourself from ever lying to your partner. Once you start to lie, and your partner finds out about it, then your partner will have a hard time believing in some of the things you tell him or her.

The second relationship help tip is for you to establish rules for your relationship. Now, when establishing rules in order to deal with your romance, you need to agree on how many times per day you need to call each other, what time you should contact each other, who you can go out with, when you can see each other, and stuff like that. You also need to establish a rule on how you can address the problems of your relationship.

If you establish ground rules for your relationship and follow them thoroughly, you can be sure that you'll be able to deal with your relationship and maybe even help make it grow into something much deeper and meaningful such as marriage.

Dealing with long distance relationships may take effort and time.It can get tiring and confusing from time to time. However, if you make rules and you trust each other completely, you can make it work. But these are only two of the many methods on how to deal with long distance relationship in college. There are still so many things that you need to learn in order to make your relationship work.

The Number One Reason Why You Fail To Gain Muscle

In this article. I would like to share with you the number one reason why you are struggling to add more lean muscle mass to your frame. I think we can safely assume that you are already training and you are lifting weights at least three times per week, but no matter what you do in the gym you still fail to see any gains. Am I right?

You see, the number one reason why guys fail to gain muscle is not because they don't follow the right training plan or because they don't do the right exercises. It's not because of bad genes or because they are so called 'hardgainers'. It's simply because of bad eating habits.

The number one reason why skinny guys fail to gain muscle is simply because their diets are bad. You see, if you weigh 160 pounds and if you want to get to up to 190 pounds then the first thing you need to start doing is eating like a person who weighs 190 pounds.

The first thing that you need to focus on is making sure that you supply your body with enough energy. I am talking about calories. To make your body grow, to start gaining muscle you need to supply your body with more than enough energy and this energy has to come from calories.

The point I want to make here is that to gain muscle you are going to have to eat a lot and by eating a lot I don't suggest to start eating ice cream and burgers everything single day.

No way.

You need to gather your calories from high quality foods. You need to gather enough proteins to make sure that your body gets enough building materials for your muscles to grow, you need to eat enough complex carbohydrates to have plenty of energy and you need to eat plenty of healthy fats to make sure that your joint and hormonal production runs smoothly and efficiently.

When trying to gain muscle you need to focus on the basics. When training you want to focus on the basic training principles and you want to focus on proven and tested exercises. The same rules apply to your diet. There's no need to reinvent the wheel and start following some complicated bodybuilding diet when all you need to do to start gaining muscle is to simply increase your daily caloric intake and make sure that your daily calories come from high quality foods.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7177930

What OCD Personality Disorder Is

OCD personality disorder is extremely common and can affect people of all ages. Although it's mostly seen in adults, a lot of children show signs of it as they are growing up. This is a disorder that is characterized by an individual who likes to keep order and neatness in things. 

On top of this, they are also going to be obsessed with perfectionism. A person that suffers from this disorder will need to have full control over their environment so they can make sure all the details are how they want them to be. Without this control the sufferer will endure a lot of stress that chronically bothers them until the situation is fixed. There are a lot of different symptoms of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder depending on each person.

Four million people in the United States currently have obsessive-compulsive disorder. If you want to look at this in a different way, that's one out of every fifty people. OCD affects all types of people, from children to adults and both men and women. This isn't something that affects just one race, either. It can affect all different types of people and is more severe in some than others. Some of the most common compulsions for people include: checking, arranging, collecting, hoarding, cleaning, touching, tapping or repeating things. Some of the most common obsessions include fears of: causing harm, making a mistake, being embarrassed, germs and many others.

Symptoms 

Individuals who have this disorder tend to be extremely controlling with all their relationships and with other people in general. They want to make sure their plans go as they schedule, even down to the very smallest detail or last minute of a schedule. Attention to detail, even those that most people wouldn't notice, is one of the most obvious symptoms of this disorder. Individuals will also pay attention to facts, observe rules and make lists or schedules so they can stay on track with their day.

Someone who other people would describe as a "perfectionist" is likely to have obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. Unfortunately this isn't something the sufferer can control on their own. The need to be perfect can end up causing a lot of stress and interrupt the flow of daily life. Some people have the obsessive need to clean; but this doesn't happen with all people. Most individuals just want to make sure their home is cleaned the way they want it to be so it looks perfect. This isn't the need to clean, it's the need to make it look a certain way.

Difference between OCPD and OCD 

Some people might confuse OCD personality disorder with OCD. Both of these disorders do show similar and the same symptoms, but the biggest difference is with the thoughts. People who have OCPD believe that the thoughts they have are correct. Individuals with OCD have thoughts they don't want enter in through their head all the time.

Risks of OCPD 

Most people who suffer from this tend to be difficult to get along with. This is a result on them having very little wiggle room when they are looking at the views and actions of other people. This is why most people with OCD personality disorder tend to shy away from having friends or romantic relationships. Some people can even become violent and angry when other people don't agree with them. A lot of people with OCPD are also at risk for suicide if they become depressed.

Best treatments for OCPD 

Although there isn't just one perfect treatment for this disorder, most sufferers benefit from a combination of therapy and self-help. While going to therapy each person will learn more about their disorder, although they might think that everything the therapist says is wrong and that only they are correct. In this case it's up to the therapist to try and change their thought process so the patient can better understand why they do certain things.

There are a lot of techniques therapists can teach to help their patients control their anxiety and reduce their need to make everything perfect. The self-help books and audio are also full of a lot of really good information. These will require sufferers to perform certain activities in order to overcome their disorder. This means there is a lot of will power required for people who want help.

Sometimes anti-anxiety medications are given to patients who can't seem to control their stress levels. These sometimes come in the form of antidepressants depending on which symptoms are shown. The anti-anxiety medications can make a big difference with the sufferer's ability to really take in what the therapist is saying.

Getting treatment can improve the quality of life dramatically for the person that suffers from this disorder. In time they will be able to control their thoughts and become more open with different types of people and relationships.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7172099

10 Hair Care Myths And Facts Exposed

We've heard all the old wives' tales: brush your hair one hundred strokes every night before bed to make it thick and healthy! Cut your hair regularly to make it grow faster! In this article, we'll tell you which, if any, of these tales are true, and which ones are pure myth.

Myth #1: Frequent haircuts will make your hair grow faster.

Truth: Your hair grows at a rate of about half an inch each month, and cutting it doesn't change that. What is true is that frequent trims will get rid of split ends, so your hair looks nicer and doesn't break as easily, which can give the appearance of faster growth.

Myth #2: Stress can cause baldness.

Truth: Everyone normally loses an average of about 50-120 strands of hair each day. Extremely high levels of stress from major life changes like job loss or divorce can cause an increase in hair loss, as can other body chemistry changes like pregnancy or some antibiotics. But it's not permanent - once the stress is gone, the amount of hair fall will be back to normal and definitely, all lost hair will grow back.

Myth #3: You need to frequently change the shampoo you use for a healthier hair growth.

Truth: Hair doesn't build up a resistance to shampoo; it can't tell the difference. It's a bit like saying changing your laundry detergent on a regular basis will make your clothes cleaner. However, if your hair is very oily or if you use a lot of hair products to style your hair, then you should use a clarifying shampoo every couple of weeks to remove all the buildup (caused by the use of the various hairstyling products).

Myth #4: Plucking out grey hairs only makes more of them grow back.

Truth: Heredity determines how much grey you'll have. But refrain from pulling them out, as it can cause damage to the roots.

Myth #5: Cold water rinses will make hair shinier.

Truth: Rinsing your hair with cold water has no effect on your hair shine.

Myth #6: Dyeing your hair can damage it badly.

Truth: This was true in the past, but today's home and salon products are much gentler on your hair. In fact, most of them now contain conditioning agents that leave one's hair better than before dyeing!

Myth #7: Brush your hair 100 strokes every night to make it shiny and bright.

Truth: You should only brush your hair to style it or remove tangles. But be careful not to brush your hair too vigorously or too often, as it can cause breakages, as well as damage to your hair follicles.

Myth #8: There's no way to add volume to fine, flat hair.

Truth: All you need to do is to roll it up on large hot curlers to add extra body to very straight hair.

Myth #9: Shampooing should be "lather, rinse, and repeat."

Truth: Lather and rinse, yes. But unless hair is really dirty, there's no need for you to repeat the lather and rinse again.

Myth #10: Using the correct hair care products will mend split ends.

Truth: The only cure for split ends is a haircut.

7 Tips To Look Younger Instantly Without Surgery

1. Stop Squinting 

If you require reading glasses in order to read material up close, make sure that you wear them. It could be that you do not want people to know that you need eye glasses for reading, but screwing up your eyes in order to read is both unbecoming and a dead giveaway anyway. Squinting in the long run causes fine lines to appear around the eyes. Over time, if you keep up the habit, the lines eventually become lasting wrinkles, so beware!

There may, however, be other explanations for your squinting. If your eyesight is good but you're squinting working in front of a PC, then try reducing the screen brightness and/or contrast. A lot of the time, we might not even be aware that we are adopting this facial behavior when working on a computer. Ask a friend or work colleague to check for you.

If your job requires you to use the computer all day, ensure that you take frequent breaks all through the working day. Gazing at a PC screen for several hours will just result in dry, sore, "gritty" eyes. Therefore, get into the habit of the 20:20 rule, that is, work non-stop for 20 minutes and then rest your eyes for 20 seconds and do this in an alternating fashion throughout the day. When you're resting your eyes, glance away from the computer and focus on the furthest point in an open-plan office (if you work in one). Otherwise, look out of a window (if you're near one) at something far away for 20 seconds in order to rest your eyes. Alternatively, simply close your eyes for 20 seconds and then work for 20 minutes again and so on.

2. Good Posture 

If there was ever a simple thing you could do to immediately look younger (and thinner!), it is by acquiring good posture. This tip is not the sole preserve of supermodels. So for all you goddesses out there... heads up, shoulders back and walk tall. It will knock years off you straight away.

3. Good Night's Sleep 

It's not called beauty sleep for nothing. While we sleep, our body cells are given the chance to rejuvenate and go through a process of repair. There is something to be said about going to bed the same day you wake up, so try to ensure that you are in bed and fast asleep before midnight. Somehow you just don't feel quite as revitalized after an eight hour sleep if you retire after midnight as you do prior to the bewitching hour. A good night's rest gives you lots of energy and enthusiasm the following day, as well as makes you feel on top of the world. Your sparkling eyes, glowing skin and charged-up energy inevitably makes you look instantly younger.

4. Fashion Passion 

Everybody wants to look fabulous and be in touch with current trends but let's face it, some fashions just don't look good on us. Avoid following fashion blindly. Clothes are a very important beauty aid but there is no need to dress young to look young. Be choosy when it comes to fashion. Learn which types of clothes complement your figure and which colors work best for you. If skinny jeans for example, don't work with your figure, check out what is currently on-trend that does... Look at color(s) and don't forget accessories! You will, for sure, find something out of all that that will suit you and make you look and feel youthful and gorgeous.

5. Easy With The Makeup 

If you have applied the same colors and the same amount and type of makeup on your face for the last twenty years, it's time to speak to a professional makeup artist and perhaps get rid of some of the things in your cosmetic bag. As we age, our skin tones change. Makeup colors that once looked wonderful next to our skin, now serves only to age us. If you can identify yourself here, a switch of color can there and then take years off your face. Moreover, you will generally look much younger than you really are if makeup is used to emphasize your natural assets, as opposed to try to hide flaws.

6. Down With The Frown 

Frowning is something we are all guilty of. Sadly, regular frowning will result in permanent grooves on our forehead in between our eyebrows. Like squinting, we don't always realize we are doing it until we catch ourselves in the middle of it. Be more self-aware and ask your best friend to warn you when you are.

7. Keep Positive 

Our 'inner world' creates our 'outer world'. What we think and feel on the inside is reflected in our outer physical world which includes our physical appearance. Don't be surprised if a person who has a chronic negative or cynical outlook on life looks older than someone who has selected to live life with a positive mental attitude.

Bonus Tip: Say No to Sugar 

Cut out entirely or dramatically reduce your sugar consumption. There is now new scientific evidence to show that eating sugar ages you and it could be by as much as twenty years! Ouch!

How Video Games Helped Me Quit Smoking

I have seen many commercials against smoking over the years. Somehave tried fighting cigarettes by unveiling statistics about smoking and its industry, with this self-righteous "look how clever we are" approach that is rather alienating. It's like being told to quit smoking by someone who is more invested in their marketing pitch than the problem at hand.

And then there have been the deluge of "scare tactic" commercials that show you blackened lungs and people living with tracheotomies. While I think these commercials hold some worth, they are more likely to give a smoker pause, rather than actually helping them to quit. Our selective memory kicks in, and kicks out the bad ones.

The aforementioned campaign, however, nailed the essence of the smoking problem in a few brief moments. It pointed out that smoking is strongly connected to habitual behavior; you smoke with your morning cup of coffee, during your morning routine, or during happy hour at the bar. These commercials suggested that you can relearn all of these activities without a cigarette. The one about happy hour even suggested you "keep a beer in one hand and anything but a cigarette in the other". That is smart advice.

Physical addiction of nicotine is nothing when compared to the mental addiction of smoking. This is why wearing a patch doesn't instantly fix the problem; a smoker still wants to hold and smoke a cigarette. Mental addiction is king. I was quite lucky; I gradually gave up smoking simply because I was not enjoying it anymore, and that made it far easier to walk away. But some of that habitual smoking through association was still rearing its ugly head. Getting rid of those last few lines of defense can be the hardest.

When you quit cigarettes (or are in the process of doing so), you may notice certain new habits taking over temporarily. Once of them is the famous one: eating. And other ones pop up, like chewing the caps from pens (until they are completely unrecognizable). However, one activity that interfered with my smoking was entirely by chance, and yet so effective at keeping my mind and body off of smoking, it should be recommended in support groups: playing video games.

It is probably arguable that the total sensory experience of playing a video game contributes in distracting the player from other activities like smoking (or socializing... kidding!), but I believe that the controller is the key. Keeping both hands fully occupied and working hastily makes you forget about holding a cigarette.

And why not? People tend to smoke the most when they are unoccupied, bored and feeling lazy. People smoke on their breaks. People smoke at their laptops and during a football game on television. It's down time, time to drink a beer, have a smoke and watch a movie!

Video games are down time too, but don't allow for a half-hearted relationship with them. I remember when I would play games like Halo 3 online, discussing strategies with friends and controlling my Spartan Soldier. I was way too engaged with the game to smoke (or use the bathroom, for that matter!). In fact, when I would light up a cigarette between matches, I would take my first puff and put it down, as we would already be back in the firefight. By the time I reached for my cigarette again, nothing remained save a long log of ash, burning away in the ashtray. That's a powerful moment to note; I had made my choice. That wouldn't be the last cigarette I ever had. But it wouldn't be the last time I ignored them in favor of playing video games, either.

Playing video games is not a magical solution, and there are a lot of variables when quitting smoking, so your mileage may vary. I already wanted to quit smoking, but video games helped by running interference, and it helped to keep me occupied once I quit smoking entirely.

Like I said before, video games are not magical, and they are not going to suppress all the addictive urges your body and mind will produce, as you try and quit. Nothing will. When quitting smoking, it's all about help, and what the best crutches are. Video games are a wonderful substitution, and for every cigarette you refuse, that's a little more money in your pocket, money to buy that next awesome game. Personally, I want to live longer and play a lot more games, so it's a win-win situation. If you're quitting or thinking about quitting, or even if you aren't considering it at all, next time you reach for that pack of smokes, try putting both your hands on that video game controller instead.